City Building : Featured Stories

The 501 streetcar line is Toronto's longest and, for many, the "Long Branch" terminating loop listed on westbound cars is a long way off, but Yonge Street's Bert Archer and Tanja-Tiziana found an up-and-coming neighbourhood changing, and poised for more change and development. Take a tour with them in words and pictures.

What do you think of as ugly? Michael McClelland and Toronto's E.R.A. Architects are challenging our assumptions about life in high-rise buildings.  Their research on tower housing questions our underlying cliches, and their conclusions and ideas are now spreading across Canada and the United States.

For too long, Mississauga has occupied the GTA's imagination as Toronto's second fiddle. But with a massive downtown revitalization afoot, much of which is centered around a world-class public square, the second city may be taking centre stage.

Toronto's hip-hop scene has scored big this year with stars like Drake and K'naan. But beyond the hype, the youth organization Manifesto are building the next generation of talent and exporting their ideas outside of Toronto and Canada.

In a U of T urban studies class "service learning" get students to think about volunteering and relationship building as part of their careers. Unlike traditional internships, it's not time consuming but helps students understand how Toronto works from the ground up.

The development industry hates it. The government doesn't want it. But inclusionary zoning is an idea that's not going away. Academics, activists, and opposition politicians like Adam Vaughan still tout it as an important piece of Toronto's affordable housing solution.

A town not known for its pro-pedestrian planning is redeveloping a historical site according to the principles of new urbanism. Oakville will be limiting car-related uses in Palermo Village, all the while trying to promote public transit and neighbourhood employment.

Yonge Street's Bert Archer recently sat down with Ontario's new Minister of Research and Innovation, Glen Murray, to talk about urbanism, sustainable transportation and technological and social innovation in and around Toronto.

The Stop food bank at the Wychwood Barns does much more than just give out free food. It's a community centre that thinks food and food security should be integrated into Toronto life, and they have fun doing it.

Young Social Entrepreneurs of Canada awards small loans to a new generation of people who think you can make money and do good at the same time, like Jam Johnson, founder of Toronto's Neighbourhood Basketball Association.

Whether it's what to wear to work or the intricate details of consulting, volunteers with the Mentoring Partnership Program have something to say about it. Veena Balram is one of 3,800 mentors that have been part of 5,300 GTA matches over the past six years.

Along the new TTC St. Clair streetcar line, a public art project with 24 new works is providing both wayfinding tools for riders and moments of wonder for the neighbourhood residents along the way.

Peter Milczyn, Toronto's new Development and Planning Committee chair, says: it's alright for kids to grow up in high rises; the city can be more dense; we can have great architecture and great public spaces; and our development fee structure can be changed to encourage all of this.

The new CEO of central Toronto's health integration network, Camille Orridge, began her career as a maid at Toronto General Hospital. Now she wants you to rethink your visit to the emergency room, and how to avoid it altogether.

Rang Home Decor and Nucreation on Gerrard Street are two thriving family-owned businesses whose stories are told in the former Mayor of Toronto's new book that explores the city he led for seven years.